Army Leader: Afghanistan War Cannot be Won
The most senior British military commander in Afghanistan warned the British people this weekend that it may not see a “decisive victory” in Afghanistan. Instead of such a victory, it may very well be that a deal will be struck between the allied forces, the central Afghani government and the Taliban, Carleton-Smith, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said.
Brits should “lower our expectations” he said. “We’re not going to win this war. It’s about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that’s not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army.”
The brigadier added: “We may well leave with there still being a low but steady ebb of rural insurgency . . . I don’t think we should expect that when we go there won’t be roaming bands of armed men in this part of the world. That would be unrealistic and probably incredible.”
“We want to change the nature of the debate from one where disputes are settled through the barrel of the gun to one where it is done through negotiations,” Carleton-Smith said.
“If the Taliban were prepared to sit on the other side of the table and talk about a political settlement, then that’s precisely the sort of progress that concludes insurgencies like this. That shouldn’t make people uncomfortable.”
The brigadier’s remarks come shortly after the Governor of the Afghan province of Helmand said that the Taliban control more than half of the province. This while many foreign troops are stationed in this part of the country.
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